Month: February 2013

Big Changes in the College Common Application

(Summit, February 25, 2013)

The Common Application Board announced sweeping changes to the application used by almost 500 colleges for students planning to enter college in the Class of 2014. They removed the widely used “Topic of Your Choice” essay prompt and increased the enforced word limit on the long essay from 500 to 650 words.

Scott Anderson, director of outreach for the Common Application, said that the change to 650 words was based on “feedback from counselors.” While the prompts do not include the completely open option, the first one is quite broad and would appear to give students wide leeway to write about topics of their choice.
The new prompts are:

  • “Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”
  • “Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?”
  • “Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?”
  • “Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?”
  • “Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.”

Carolyn Mulligan of the Insiders Network to College feels that the prompts are great and in no way mourns the loss of the “Topic of Your Choice” since she sees the student’s application as the telling of their story to the admissions office. “These prompts offer a variety of ways for students to look within themselves, be very introspective and find experiences and life situations that form platforms from which they can tell revealing stories about themselves. “ The hard and fast 650 word limit (the essay will be cut off after that amount of words!) is fine as well. There is nothing wrong with telling your story in that amount of words. “When I work with a student and we have to edit a story and hone a piece to fit a word limit, we almost always agree that the essay is stronger and more punchy in the long run!” says Mulligan.

Another change is that the short essay on extracurriculars or employment will not be included in the main Common Application but can be put in each college/university supplement at their discretion. Still to be decided is whether they will keep the “Additional Information” section at the end of the “Writing” portion. Mulligan hopes they will decide to do this. “This is an important area for those with learning disabilities and others who may need to elaborate on discrepancies or special circumstances in their application for which there is no room elsewhere to explain.”

Mitchell College, Connecticut College and The US Coast Guard Academy

I was up in New London Connecticut in January 2013 where I was surprised by the innovative changes at 2 colleges I hadn’t seen in over six years. I added the US Coast Guard Academy to my list of schools visited.

Mitchell College
Mitchell College

 

Mitchell College has 864 undergraduates [53% male/ 47% female and 31% minority] with a focus that is personal and practical. New since my last visit is Mitchell’s Campus Center and the Duques Academic Success Center. The Duques Academic Success Center is the home of advising, tutoring and the Bentsen Learning Center Program (“BCLP”). The BLCP was just redesigned for the Fall of 2012 and has four levels of support specifically designed to meet the needs of students in their freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years. Students have to apply to BLCP simultaneously while applying to Admissions at Mitchell College. They must be accepted to the College before being accepted to the BLCP program. The liaison with Admissions is Bernie Shea. With these changes, the learning support and one-on-one strategies are stronger than ever leading to improved academic success.

 

Connecticut College by Insiders Network to College
Connecticut College

Nearby on Mohegan Avenue is Connecticut College. Even on a gray day, the campus is impressive. Starting at the landmark Nike – Winged Victory statue, many historic buildings house the 1,900 undergraduates of whom 98% live on campus in residence halls where students from all classes mingle. President Leo J. Higdon Jr. has said, ”Connecticut College is already known for personalized attention to each student’s learning. Our program will be state-of-the-art among liberal arts colleges.” This is clearly evidenced by two new developments on campus.
Brand new to Conn College since my last visit is the $21 million renovation and expansion of New London Hall to create an amazing high-tech home for the life sciences and computer science. It just opened in the Fall of 2012 with state-of-the –art labs, workspaces and collaborative areas for science professors. Connecticut College is especially known for supporting females in the sciences, and those on their way to the medical field. i.e. the Science Leaders Program http://www.conncoll.edu/academics/factsheets/NSF.pdf
Another noteworthy development is the plan for the $11 million Academic Resource Center to be housed on the 3rd floor of the Charles E. Shain Library. It will encompass workshops for engaging students with faculty through its curriculum. Programs include time management, reading and strategies, note-taking, test prep and organization. The Center will also incorporate best practices for effective learning, coaching and focus on high level skill development. It will also offer programs and services for students with learning disabilities through the Office of Disability Services. The Roth Writing Center will also move into the Resource Center.

 

Right across the street, stately and beautiful in brick and on the banks of the Thames River is the United States Coast Guard Academy. We decided to make an unplanned stop while we were so close by. As we waited for walking tour information, Admissions Director, Daniel Pinch, offered us an impromptu info session where we learned everything about the Coast Guard Academy in an hour. The Coast Guard has more females than any other service academy [36%.] They have the highest retention rate after required service is completed which of course may have to do with the nature of their mission. The US. Coast Guard Academy is much more humanitarian in its service versus the other service academies who focus more on combat. They work with Homeland Security, protect our ports, support the CIA and FBI, contain oil spills, protect our borders against drug smuggling and illegal immigration, break ice for fishing vessels and support the shipping industry. The majors are limited to engineering, government and STEM subjects (Science, Technology, and Math), so if you have other interests to pursue, this is not the place for you. You must complete your studies in four years, so the curriculum is quite rigorous. However, these are “Leaders of Character,” and the rewards are great, not to mention four years of free tuition, room and board. It is a beautiful place to attend school.

 

There’s something for everyone in New London, Connecticut, not to mention the incredible restaurants – especially good for those who love seafood! We loved S & P Oyster Company in Mystic, Connecticut http://www.sp-oyster.com/ , Anthony J’s Bistro http://www.anthonyjsbistro.com/ or Azu http://azuct.com/azu/index.shtml , which we didn’t have a chance to try but next time we are in Mystic we are certainly going to do so!